Disco de Bobby Bare: “Essential Bobby Bare”

One of the better "Best OF...." albums. To be honest, I care little for the sound of '70's country music, although there were a few notable exception. Bobby Bare, despite his early Rock-n-Roll venture, stayed true to form and put out a few memorable hits for a wasted decade. I could do without the obligatory "father to son" talking song so popular in this era (Thank you Red Sovine, Bill Anderson, etc....), but the good far outweighs the bad on this album. Not sure that Bobby was ever an "outlaw" (and after judging by today's definition of that crowd, he may not want to be associated with the term anyway!), but he did things his own way; which is why I think he flourished during the death of the Nashville Sound and the increasing Disco beats of Barbara Mandrell and Kenny & Dolly. The recordings on this albium are superb, and you can really appreciate Bobby's straight-forward, no-nonsense, approach to presenting a song. Overall, I give the album a grade of B.

What is there not like? I like the narrrative as well as the melody of most of Bobbie Bare's and Shelly Fabre's musi. I would recommend these used CDs to anyone who likes this type of music.

I was so impressed with how fast I got this CD. I ordered from this person because most of his other reviews commented on how fast they got their product and I wanted it fast. My hope was to get it by Friday and it arrived on Thursday. I think I ordered it on Monday or Tuesday. I was very pleased.

Bobby Bare's catalog has long been neglected by RCA (a few stingy nine and ten track collections were put out and then deleted years ago). Razor & Tie released a nice twenty-one track retrospective of his `60s RCA work The Best Of Bobby Bare in 1994. The Essential Bobby Bare contains quite a few overlaps to that set, like his career-establishing folk numbers "500 Miles," "Four Strong Winds," and "Detroit City" plus the countrypolitan "Streets Of Baltimore" and the humorous "(Margie's At) The Lincoln Park Inn." What gives the Essential volume the clear edge is its addition of Bare's biggest hits from the `70s, including the novelty items "Marie Laveau" and "Daddy What If" as well as the oddly philosophical "Drop-kick Me Jesus" (which Bare claims is President Clinton's favorite song). Essential also offers all of Bare's collaborative hits, including a "A Dear John Letter" with Skeeter Davis and "Game of Triangles" with Liz Anderson and Norma Jean. Solo or tandem, every track is a winner and reveals Bare and his rich baritone to be an underappreciated but important part of country music history.

It was inconceivable to me that a native New Orleaner had never heard this rendition so o course I had to purchase it for her!